1830.J Theatrical Matters. 65 



But what evil genrus in the shape of the most luckless of managers, - 

 Frederic Jones, has started up to rival him ? Dublin has never been able 

 to support more than one theatre, seldom even that one, and yet we see 

 that a second, for operas, &c., is actually building. Even in the day of 

 Barry and Mossop, of Sheridan, Quin, and Garrick, when first-rate 

 players were to be found everywhere, and when the higher ranks made 

 the theatre what the opera is now, their habitual place of assemblage, 

 two theatres in Dublin only ruined each other ; but, nous verrons. 



The fate of the foreign speculations comes just in time. The Parisian 

 affair was merely a French compliment, paid and at an end. The actors 

 were introduced, embraced in the public arms, kissed on both cheeks, 

 and then most courteously bowed out. The manager of the Anglo- 

 Flemish company improved on this French reception, by taking French 

 leave. 



" An English company had been performing at Amsterdam, under 

 the management of a Mr. Aubrey, who, by liberal offers, induced Kean, 

 jun., Miss F. H. Kelly, and other English performers, to join his corps 

 dramalique. They played e Romeo and Juliet/ at the Hague, with 

 great eclat, in presence of the King and Queen of the Netherlands, the 

 Prince and Princess of Orange, and an immensely crowded audience. 

 The receipts of the night were considerable ; but on the return of the 

 company to Amsterdam, it was discovered that the manager had made 

 his exit, after receiving the subscription of the royal party, and there 

 was no money in the treasury to pay the performers' salaries, beside there 

 being an arrear of 1 ,000 florins due to the proprietor of the theatre for rent. 

 In this dilemma a green-room council was convened, when Miss F. H. 

 Kelly, in consideration of the poorer performers, generously offered to 

 bear the whole expenses of the theatre for a month, paying all the mem- 

 bers their full salaries, if Kean would give his gratuitous services for 

 that period, to which he as generously agreed ; but the proposition not 

 meeting the concurrence of those whom it was intended to benefit, the 

 idea was abandoned." 



Mr. Aubrey has since, however, denied the abstraction of the money, 

 there being none to abstract. 



But the performer that surpasses all other performers is the debu- 

 tante of the Adelphi. The name of this extraordinary genius is Jelk, 

 with which she was honoured by her illustrious sponsors, the King of 

 Candy and the Emperor of Japan. Her performance has excited the 

 most boundless popularity ; and the great Northern Romancer, who, 

 with a large party of wits attended her debut, is said to have continued, 

 during the whole week after, pronouncing, like his Dominie Sampson, 

 the word " prodigious !" 



A drama had been provided for the first development of her powers, 

 happily entitled the " Fire Fiend," which was to be opened by a pro- 

 logue recited by Yates, in the garb of an Exeter 'Change Beef-eater. 

 But the whisper goes, that the deputy licenser, feeling himself appointed 

 the guardian angel of that warlike corps, refused his permission, on the 

 ground that it was " calculated to bring his Majesty's Beef-eaters into 

 contempt/' Yates accordingly submitted, and appearing in his personal 

 costume, as a beef-eater on his own account, delivered Mr. Beasley's very 

 pleasant performance. The prologue playfully describes the pulling 

 down of Exeter 'Change, and tells us, that . 



M.M. New Series. Vol. IX. No. 49. K 



